


Elements

by MiriRainbowitz



Category: The Old Guard (Movie 2020)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Avatar & Benders Setting, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-20
Updated: 2020-09-20
Packaged: 2021-03-07 17:14:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 585
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26561230
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MiriRainbowitz/pseuds/MiriRainbowitz
Summary: Learning how to master your bending takes time, but the immortals aren't going to run out of that any time soon.
Comments: 4
Kudos: 57





	Elements

**Author's Note:**

> Am I satisfied with this? Not really, but I've been awake for over 24 hours so I'm past the point of giving any fucks. Here you go.

Before Nile died, she was the healer in her squad. She accepted it - she wasn't a strong enough bender to be a reliable combat waterbender, and she didn't _mind_ doing it, because her squad was her family and she could help them this way. She had learned the basics of combat waterbending, but she was a Marine in an active combat zone. It was another weapon in her arsenal, and you needed every weapon you had if you wanted to survive.

But then she died and came back to life without even a _scratch_ to show where her neck had been sliced open, and it was like a dam had opened on her strength. Waterbending came so _easy_ to her now, surging out of control and making her feel like a clumsy child first discovering their bending.

Her new family had almost immediately started teaching her combat waterbending. Andy was her first teacher, which Nile initially thought was a bad idea, given that Andy was a _firebender_.

But then Andy turned out to be a really good teacher, gently correcting Nile's stance, explaining how to feel her chi, and staying up late at night with her to practice her control. It didn't take her very long to master her waterbending, to the point that she was as good as some of the best combat waterbenders in the Marines.

* * *

It starts like this.

Joe is idly playing with some of the sand on the ground of their campsite, trying to make it flow through his fingers in a thin little stream. Nicky is sitting on the other side of the fire, looking relaxed. A mischievous impulse fires, and Joe sends the stream of sand at Nicky, saying, "Catch!"

Nicky has lightning fast reflexes, though, and sends out a little tornado to catch the sand in before he lets the whirlwind dissipate and the sand falls to the ground. He looks into Joe's eyes, and inspiration strikes both of them.

It doesn't take long for them to learn how to whip up a deadly sand tornado, fast winds laced with sand particles that can cut through clothes and blast the skin off of unprotected flesh with ease. Andy and Quynh are amazed by this combination of elements, and it doesn't take long before fire spouts tornados are sweeping through enemy ranks and burning hot rocks are raining down on people who stand in their way.

* * *

"... yeah, grazie mille, Copley," Nicky said, then turned to Joe with a grin. "Tesoro, we're getting married in five months in the Sagrada Familia! Copley pulled some strings, but he couldn't get us in before then."

"What do you want the rings to look like this time?" Joe asked.

"I don't care," Nicky replied. "Make whatever you want, it'll be perfect no matter what."

"Hold on a minute," Nile said. "Joe is gonna _make_ the rings? Why not just use one of the rings in your loot?"

"Because those rings are not for us," Joe replied. "They don't mean anything. They may look fine, but they were made by other people for other people. Every time we marry, the rings represent who we were, who we are, and who we will become. Our rings are ours and ours alone."

"The first ring he made was objectively quite ugly," Nicky said. "It was thick and plain and dull. No one wanted it, not even robbers who would take everything from their victims, but to me it was perfect, simply because Joe made it."


End file.
